Rugby focus for Sports Hub irks netballers | Oamaru Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Oamaru

The Waitaki District Council recently announced its backing of the proposed Waitaki Sports Hub. While the venture has been portrayed as positive and beneficial to all, the stirrings within the sporting community have begun. North Otago Netball president Mel Hawkins talks to The Oamaru Mail sports reporter Dan Tasker about issues surrounding the hub.

If you could say anything about Mel Hawkins, the one thing most could agree on would be her passion.

Most would have witnessed her in action during those chilly winter mornings on the sidelines of the Hine Marie Netball Courts - organising, coaching, umpiring - her passion for the game oozes from her tiny frame.

She's a North Otago girl - born and bred here, and as Oamaru as they come. But something's got her back up, and it stems from the local council's decision to pay for a portion of the Waitaki Sports Hub.

The idea of a central sports house, where all North Otago sporting codes can come together, is not new. It arose in the 1970s, and developed into a project over the last decade.

Last year, former Sport Waitaki co-ordinator Grahame Johnston gained traction for the idea by pulling together the $20,000 needed for a feasibility study from the council and local sports clubs, to see if Oamaru really needed a sports hub.

The idea was a multimillion-dollar project providing new indoor facilities for a range of sports (basketball, netball, squash, badminton, indoor cricket, volleyball) and indoor training facilities.

But all that seemed to change at a recent meeting between the council and the local communities. This time Sport Waitaki, North Otago Rugby Union (NORU) and the local cricket association carried more weight.

Hawkins was present at the consulting meetings. She said things were noticeably different compared to when discussions first began last year, with the difference centering around rugby.

"I find rugby pick and choose who they work with within North Otago. When Graham Johnston was running meetings last year to do with a possible sports facility, [North Otago Rugby chief executive] Colin Jackson screwed his nose up and didn't even bother turning up sometimes. But as soon as rugby has something to gain out of it, everyone has to do what they want.

"We gave them the respect to go to the meeting, but it seemed like it was already a done deal," Hawkins said.

The issue centres around who benefits most from the proposed hub. If the Lottery Commission funding comes through in December, the council aims for completion by September next year - just in time for the Rugby World Cup.

The significance of this is the NORU will be running the Waitaki Golden Oldies tournament to coincide with the World Cup.

Council Community Services Group manager Thunes Cloete states in the latest report (August 11): "The building project is scheduled to be completed ... in time for the Golden Oldies rugby tournament.

"It will be seen as a legacy of the Rugby World Cup 2011. The Golden Oldies Tournament will be held every two years as a regular event now and into the future," the report said.

And while Jackson has promised the Golden Oldies will bring substantial economic benefit to the region, Hawkins said for North Otago, it was more important to accommodate the province's sporting talent.

"It's not just about netball - it's the other codes as well. All we get now is rugby, rugby, rugby. But there are so many other good, good things in this town - so many talented young people in a variety of sports and it's unfair rugby seem to get the final say," she said.

Most sport volunteers were doing their administrative work from home, so the emphasis the feasibility study placed on administration upgrades were next to pointless, Hawkins said.

"We are not an elite area, we are a feeder area for Canterbury and Otago so a lot of us are volunteers. We don't need these offices for most of the codes," she said.

North Otago Netball secretary Sam Growcott agreed. She said she was concerned with the speed with which the council was pushing the project through.

Growcott thought the money could be spent a lot more wisely to help North Otago sport.

"The average person isn't going to be catered for.

"Hockey have an international turf there, but they can't utilise it because they don't have the toilets and changing facilities needed to host international teams," Growcott said.

Hawkins said the Sports Hub proposal gives hockey a raw deal, especially given the fact they are the only sport with the ability to bring international level competition to the town.

Netball have missed out on hosting tournaments because of the poor Hine Marie Courts surface.

Hawkins said netballers were trying to fund the $150,000 needed to reseal the courts themselves after receiving no help from the council. She hoped to have the funding for resurfacing in place by Christmas.

"It's really sad because the sports hub is trying to bring all the codes together, but actually what it's doing is it's making sports like us and hockey try and get things done by ourselves," Hawkins said.

Next week in The Oamaru Mail, local hockey faces speak out about the Sports Hub.